Haunt Me Maybe
by ShriekingViolet
Summary: When the world starts abiding to the laws of logic, Kelsey gets murdered. Whodunit ?
1. Prologues (gotta love those)

**Prologues**

**Gotta love'm !**

In the sultry dark room where the boy had gone to die, Kelsey typed, her clumsy fingers trembling as they hit the cold, smooth keys with a violence her brand new laptop had done nothing to deserve.

_Why am I being like this ? _she wondered._ Why am I hurting Ren's beautful present ?_

One he'd picked just right, one she never even had to ask for, one he'd every right to check every night to make sure there was nothing dangerous or inappropriate in her browsing history–

Her jaw clenched and she almost disloged the erase button.

She could hear him, walking in circles, right behind the door.

"_Raajkumaari_, are you sure you don't need anything ?"

She bit her lips. For the life of her, she couldn't find anything to answer.

She heard him grab the doorknob and twist it in every possible way, to no avail.

"Is it so difficult to answer me ?" he said in his most dangerous tone.

It wasn't really angry, just a bit more passive-agressive than usual, a little less studied. He was about to do something about it. He was about to lose control. And she wouldn't be able to stop him, she wouldn't have a say in the matter, because it would be all her fault.

"No probs ! I just need to lie down a sec."

"You're lying, just not down. I can hear you typing on the portable computer. Please tell me what this is all about. Why are you locking yourself in this way ? Am I so repulsive, so inadequate that you cannot stand to have me at your side ?"

The all-too-familiar stab of guilt was followed by a wonderful thing – excitement, for the first time in months. She knew he'd given her the perfect excuse.

"It's not you, it's me... I just can't get out. I'm having... _girl problems_."

_Can anyone be so lame ? He's never going to buy it. _

"Oh, really ?" She could hear his eyes narrow in suspicion "Then how come my tiger senses did not detect anything ? The moon is not even on the thirteenth night, when your cycle was due..."

She gladly let him broadcast all his menstrual knowledge. No one could hear – or at least, no one that mattered. And who would have done something about it ?

Mr Kadam, in his study, who was either having a nap or watching re-airs of Agatha Christie's Marple ? Nilima, who didn't give a fuck as long as she could have her beauty sleep and be numb inside ? Or the gardener, that repulsive old goat with his rabbit teeth and his twisted, wet smile ?

No, they'd fired that one. At least that's what Kadam had told her. Always stumbling upon things he wasn't meant to see.

_Just like you. _

As she pressed the send button, she knew she was doing the right thing. Or that it would have been the right thing, had she been doing it for the right reasons. But it was as ungrateful and selfish as all the things she'd been doing lately. She just wanted things the way they were before she'd met him, Kadam, and the tigers. She wanted to feel like herself again. Even if she had to get punished, even if everything had to end here.

At least, she would have peace.


	2. Chapter 1 - Poor Communication Kills

**Chapter 1**

**Poor Communication Kills**

Fanindra knew she was about to burst in laughter. It would probably be unpleasant, since spectacled cobras are incapable of laughing and reportedly unable to survive imploding, but she knew it would be worth it.

Ren's seminar about periods had undeniably devolved since the queen of snakes had started eavesdropping. Nested in the arms of a naked Venus, in the hall behind the mahogany door, the giant mystical snake could now hear a seventeenth century Indian prince complain about #YesAllWomen, female academia, middle-aged moms writing woman porn, ethics in game journalism and vlogs getting hijacked by make-up tutorials.

« You should have brought your phone... » she muttered.

Between a dead shrub and two naked cherubs, Nilima's head emerged. From the needlessly complicated hideout, her eyes shot her friend an intrigued glance. Fanindra answered her silent question.

« Imagine making a YouTube channel out of found footage of Ren saying stupid shit... »

Nilima's eyes widened, and she nodded approvingly.

« It would go viral before you're done writing the video description... ».

« And everyone's favorite vid would be that one time Kishan shows up, and he's all _Fuck Ren's stupid shit, _I'm_ the one that's actually brain dead !_ And then BOOM ! Tigercatfight ! Because they just can't a_gree on stuff_ like normal brothers do. And just when they're ripping each other's gutts, _Kelsey_. Kelsey saying stupid shit about Ren and Kishan fighting over stupid shit they only said because of the stupid shit _she_ said to mess with them in the first place !»

« A human centipede of dumb. »

« Pooping back and forth, forever. »

Nilima's dark eyes merely twinkled, but Fanindra knew that, had her friend not been such a good little soldier, she would have been rolling on the floor, partly thanks to her bad jokes, but mostly because, before she met the snake, she'd been too scared to let herself enjoy her masters' stupidity.

Just as her friend wondered why, a terrible noise shook the hall.

The Venus shivered, and Fanindra lost balance, slipped, and fell headfirst on the pavement. The little she could normally see (four inches over the ground, on her best days) was shrouded in black and random flashes of light.

Spasms shook her and she tried to regain control over her tangled vertebras, powerless as she imagined the White Tiger, having slammed the door open and slowly drawing nearer from her friend.

But it was not the tiger, and it was not that door. Kelsey had left the computer room and joined Ren in the library.

There was no shouting, no fits, no whimpering.

Instead, a tense silence that seemed to last for centuries.

They could hear Ren's voice tremble when he finally asked :

« Are you finished menstruating ? »

There was another long silence.

« Yes » Kelsey said gravely. « I think I am. »

The sound of embrace, and that of long, passionate kisses, the ones that melt one mouth into another and suck all life out of each party, reverberated in the hallway. It was a surprisingly peaceful soundtrack to accompany the return of Fanindra's sight.

« Do you want to go to the pool ? »

« Yes. »

« Then let's go. »

As they walked outside the library, smiling stupidly, Ren stoped.

« Wait, did you turn off the computer ? »

He never gave her enough time to answer.

« Let me do it for you and go take a swim. I 'll be there in a moment. »

Kelsey nodded, smiled, and went.

At the moment she stoped facing Ren, Nilima saw her smile turn to stone. For a second, he watched her walk away with a smug smirk. Then, he rushed into the library.

This was the moment Fanindra chose to turn into an anklet. Nilima jumped out of her hideout, picked her and was about to leave, when a strong arm grabed hers and pulled her into the room.

Ren's stern face and piercing blue eyes were facing her, much closer than she would have liked them to be.

« I know what she's doing. »

« P-pardon me, sir ? »

« She's betraying me, ridiculing me in front of all of you, and together you wonder if I will put an end to it, but I say nothing. Because that is how much I love her. And it is only natural, a lady deserves that love. She deserves to be put above my reputation and my pride. You are not a lady. You do not deserve tears to cry or blood to spill. If you do not help me today, you will wish you had neither. »

He dragged her to the dark room, and closed the door behind her.

Fanindra hissed, but stoped herself when he shot them one of his most threatening glares. She wasn't afraid for herself, but she could feel Nilima's heartbeat racing.

« She sent this short, homely letter through the portable computer. It is but three common sentences, yet she spent ten minutes writing it... How do you think it is possible ?»

Nilima felt cold sweat running from her hairline through her forehead.

« Maybe she went through a lot of re-writes. O-or maybe she attached a file to the mail and download took time ?»

He looked at the ceiling in exasperation, exhaled a long breath, then pointed at the screen.

« No. The key is obviously here. Look at those figures. They're codes. They're taunting me. Laughing at my despair... »

His hands started shaking. He turned away from her look, and she knew tears had welled up in his cobalt eyes.

Before his voice would break, he finally dared to ask :

« Nilima – I want you to teach me emojis. »


	3. Chapter 2 - Workers' Union

**Chapter II **

**The Workers' Union**

_(Sorry for the short update and the lack of Kadam. More on him, Kelsey, Durga and Nilima in less than a week, since I wasn't satisfied with what was supposed to be Chapter II's ending and will be Chapter III) _

« He could have killed you over a winky frowny face ! » Fanindra shouted.

Nilima remained silent and inexpressive. She was doing her best to avoid any reaction that could prompt her old friend to do something rash. It wasn't really difficult. She felt numb and tired, as she always did after a great scare.

Not that there was much to be scared of, even before _he_'d left the room.

Ren had been reduced to a blubbering mess the second he realized what he had done.

« No. No, I can't have – It wasn't me – I didn't mean – Oh, please, let it not be broken !»

Trembling, he'd slowly approached the computer, and picked it up like a baby bird just fallen from the nest. As Fanindra started gliding under her T-Shirt, letting her healing powers work their mysterious way deep into Nilima's flesh, she heard him press the start button, and, after a few seconds, the usual clicks and rings were heard.

Ren had beamed, and immediately put the thing where it belonged, swept the keyboard with his right hand for good measure, and turned around, ready to forget the whole thing and go, when he'd noticed them staring at him in terror and rage.

« It hit her. You could have hurt her. »

Ren looked at them in shock.

« You mean, after I threw it – »

« Yes. Almost hit the face. »

« Is it – Can I bring you something ? »

« Get out. » Fanindra hissed.

He stared at her in horror, and started opening his mouth again. Fanindra lost patience.

« JUST GET OUT ! »

Then he'd ran outside and Fanindra had focused on her friend, switching between concern and powerless rage. Untill her friend had tried to reassure her by saying it could have been worse.

« I don't see something more stupid and dangerous and insane than a boss who scars you because you failed to explain an emoticon ! »

« It's a bruise, not a scar. And you've almost erased it. Remember that he wasn't even aiming at me, he just threw it in the air and– »

« Do you listen to yourself ? You're trying to find him excuses. »

« There is no excuses. Of course there isn't. But we have to stay rational. He isn't a threat. He's got no intention to hurt me. This is just an isolated incident, and overreacting right now would just be a bad move– »

« Overreacting ? If he ever gets like that again, he could get you or really anyone here disfigured or in a wheelchair. And I could kill him. I could kill him right now and get us all rid of him, forever. »

« You could also fail and get yourself incinerated while we all deal with the repercussions. We don't know what they're really doing or just how much power they have. »

« But do you think they should have any ? Seeing how they use it ? Are you sure that there won't be other victims, or that there hasn't been already ? »

« There has been others. But if this is what Durga wants, there is no way we can escape it. »

« Maybe Durga doesn't want it. Maybe I can convince her. »

And on that, she teleported in a flash of golden light, leaving Nilima alone, almost healed and with a last tiring and humiliating task to accomplish. She had to report to Kadam.


	4. Chapter 3 - Scorned, I Tell You !

**Chapter 3: **

**Scorned, I tell you !**

She hadn't even reached the patio when she heard their voices. Kadam, speaking too quickly, with that breathy voice he used when he could finally give someone a lecture about whatever piece of trivia he found fascinating this week, and peals of Kelsey's silvery laugh, always here to interrupt a long-winded sentence a millisecond after she'd stopped listenting.

And Nilima knew, before they were even in sight, that Ren's girlfriend was acting up her sweet summer child routine.

« Oh, Mr Kadam, that's all good and nice, but I'm pretty sure I can't get cancer if I get in the pool real quick ! »

« Miss Kelsey, it is not safe for you to ignore your skin's need for adequate protection. In those latitudes, with such a light complexion, you shouldn't be allowed – »

« Now, Mr. Kadam, wait a little. Don't you think it would be a little bit racist if you could all go in the sun and I couldn't, just because I'm pale ? » Kelsey said slowly, not quite like an innocent joke, as she moved insensibly closer from Mr. Kadam.

« But I don't want to be pale. I want the sun on my skin, untill I can't take it anymore, untill I'm one of the pretty people. Like all your friends. Like you. »

Mr. Kadam looked her in the eyes for a long time, without blinking, and whether it was with attraction or terror, Nilima did not know.

Standing in the shade of a Banyan tree, in comparative darkness but barely a few steps away, she cleared her throat, hoping to warn them of her presence before they did anything that could not be undone – or forgotten.

They didn't hear her, and Kelsey's face travelled two-third of the way between « maybe inappropriate » to « is he swallowing her mouth ? ». She was exactly eighteen centimeters away from enacting the next step of her diabolical plan – step 1 : steal Mr Kadam's virtue, underwater of course, step 2 : ?, step 3 : Profit ! – when he exclaimed in relief :

« But you can go in the sun ! »

Kelsey blinked.

« What ? »

« I'm sorry, I was lost in my thoughts, did you say something ? Ren made me buy for you a most expensive cream, the same one Mrs Veena Malik uses. Surely someone who can boast of using the same beauty cream as someone so famous can call herself one of the pretty people. At least, you will be with your beloved as he treats you with an ongent he thought would suit you as well as one of the most beautiful persons in the world.»

Kelsey remained silent a few seconds.

Then, she lowered her big brown deer eyes and muttered :

« Yes, but you see, he said he would come and – didn't. »

With the dramatic pause and the big ole' batting eyelashes, Kelsey had the charm of an old-timey actress. The sort that knew how to go from a bit part to a scene stealer, and would devour the B-Movie's cardboard scenery like a psychotic termite and still be adorable.

But Mr. Kadam would not have it.

« Would you wish for me to call him ? I will do so immediately. »

And while he was leaving, Kelsey grew redder and redder, untill she hissed :

« Do you think I'm stupid ? I know you know ! »

Tears rolled down her cheeks as he went away. Her voice wasn't loud, but it certainly was clear, and Nilima thought she had seen a slight alteration in her relative's pace as Kelsey sobbed :

« I 'll th-throw away all your little games. Your things, I'll b-burn down – I'll – I'll burn down your _books_. »

As Nilima turned to see him leave, Kelsey gasped.

She'd seen her. When they faced, they were both several shades lighter.

Nilima looked down in shame, and heard Kelsey run away in the bushes.


	5. Chapter 4 - Revelation (or what ?)

**Chapter IV - **

**Revelation o what ?**

Nilima would never go Harriet the Spy like that again.

She felt like a terrible chauffeur/slave/handmaid.

Of course, Kelsey was the sort of person who needed a chauffeur/slave/handmaid, but she hadn't really done anything wrong, and she probably wouldn't. Actually, she'd never _done_ anything, except catalyze Ren's tendancy to turn everyday life into an American soap opera. The kind that ended up in a secret playlist Nilima would watch on youtube, to enjoy hammy actors, dramatic soundtrack, absent plot and a surprisingly high level of casualties.

She decided that she wouldn't trouble herself either way. She wouldn't blame and resent Kelsey for things she had no control over, but she wouldn't pretend that this girl had ever had the potential to be something else than an aching pain in her – bosom.

And soon, everything would be normal, she would stop hearing Sai's screams in her sleep, and she could return to supporting a micro-tyranny that she could only oppose in secret, with insignificant acts of kindness and hidden dreams of escape that would never, ever happen. All of that, and more, almost free of guilt !

Such were the thoughts of Kelsey Hayes' chauffeur/slave/handmaid when, for no apparent reason, the Banyan tree decided to get mystical and started speaking to her, pronouncing what had to be an incantation of some sort.

Before she even understood the words, she _knew_ it was going Vedic on her because of her numerous transgressions (her defence would consist mainly of scapegoating tumblr). Though, actually, it could also just be inhabited by an asura so hostile and twisted, it had waited three hundred years without showing itself either to the British who had built the manor, Kadam or the Tiger Princes, because it wanted to torture someone with a fully-functioning brain for some reason. Except she'd been under that Banyan abomination a thousand times before, and nothing had ever happened.

No, she only began to suspect the horrible truth as a tall, muscular figure jumped from the tree, and landed a few feet away from her. Golden eyes glittered under messy hair. Quick fingers ran in it to arrange it, and a large grin appeared on the stranger's face.

"_Jaaneman_..."

"Master Kishan ?" Nilima asked.

The stranger was startled. He stoped, stared at her, and sighed in disappointment. "You're the plane girl, right ?"

"Why, yes. Yes, I am."

"Thought it was Kelsey."

He looked like a capricious child dissapointed with his Christmas present. Nilima started wondering whether she should tell him where Kelsey was. In her state, he could be a welcome distraction or the last straw after an endless stream of humiliations. Before she'd made up her mind, he'd started talking again :

"She sent me a weird mail– Something about leaving on good terms. They're going somewhere ?"

Nilima stoped just short of revealing what she knew. Translating Kelsey's laconic message to Kishan for his brother, she'd seen that part, and assumed that _he_ was going.

"Maybe it's just a code for something." Kishan shrigged "Is it – you know – girl talk for something hot ? They're always trying to find new names for that, it's the worst thing about being 300, when you get it, you're a tiger again. If you're a tiger. Not if you're a vampire or – you know – the shirtless guys from that movie. Whatever, you can tell me, I won't tell Ren."

Nilima hadn't listened to anything he'd said. She knew Ren and his consort were not supposed to leave. Some Nahuatl artefact that Kadam was deciphering would be the key of their happiness, or something. There might have been a quest involved, but all she'd heard was "they might go into the wild for some time".

_In the wild_

She only thought of it now.

"How could you come here so fast ? How did you get her mail so soon ?"

"I had wi-fi installed.", Kishan answered hurriedly.

"In the jungle ?"

He looked at her with his wide, empty, brainwashed cow eyes, and she quickly added:

"Why, of course. After all, we are in the jungle too, and I couldn't live without –"

Kishan nodded absent-mindedly before interrupting:

"Where is she ?"

She decided to play it safe.

"I have no idea. You should go ask Kadam. He would love to have a chat with you."

_He would love to have a chat with anyone who isn't a creepy stalker. That's how lonely he is. _

"Okay. Always there for K-dubs."

She could not fully commit to her usual Kishan-related cringe as he made his way towards the patio. The frat boy talk was artificial, but the tone was sincere. He was going to entertain Kadam with his light, not-quite-witty banter, and for once, the old man wouldn't be alone. As he always was.

_He's just trying to make things better for everyone here. It's not his fault if he trusts the people who made him everything he is. He's lost everything for them, he couldn't take it if it was for nothing. I can't be angry. I can't blame him for doing exactly what I'm doing. _

She sat under the tree, and decided that she would join Kishan, keep him out of Kelsey's business, and maybe speak with an old friend about antic lyras for a few hours. Maybe Fanindra would be back after that, and then, they might be able to talk.

But just as she was about to get up, a flash of light blinded her. She heard something like thunder, striking so loud and close that it felt as if the entire world was crumbling around her and really wanted her to hear it fall into pieces. A chilling wave went through her body, and she fell to the ground.

She woke up lying on something cold. Something thin and dry was stroking her forhead. She wasn't scared. She knew this feeling.

Fanindra. She opened her eyes and met the surprisingly expressive gaze of her friend. She smiled at her, looked up, and gasped. They were lying on stairs. Stairs that lead directly to a throne carved very high on the temple's ocre walls. Sitting majestuously on it was a tall woman, clad like an empress, draped in a delicate cloth, dyed rich shades of safran, coral and reddish-brown. She laid her large dark eyes on them. It felt like a butterfly landing on a flower. She beamed, and the result was so radiant that her whole frame seemed to glow. Bathed in her soft golden light, Nilima could not doubt that she was the very essence of peace and wisdom.

"Durga ?" she asked breathlessly.

The moment was majestic, emotional, a mystic revelation – then, the woman opened her mouth.

"No, seriously, I can't be that high. Was that really lesbian snake action ?"


	6. Chapter 5 - Lots and lots of Italics

**Chapter V -**

**Lots and lots of italics**

_(A.N: I really apologize to my readers for the mistake I made last chapter, switching up asuras and devas. They exist, as good and evil beings respectively according to Zoroastrianims, and as evil and good ones according to Hinduism. The mistake was accidental and I really apologized for doing exactly what I aim to criticize in Tiger's Curse. It will be fixed by the time I upload this.)_

Fanindra's whole body suddenly went rigid, as if she'd been the one who got stricken by lightning. Her head went up and she hissed:

"There's _nothing_ strange in waking up your best friend with a gentle platonic kiss on the forehead. It's just something perfectly appropriate that you do from time to time, whenever you feel like it. It's not as if I watched her sleep before, or did anything weird. Juts ask her !"

And she turned to her friend, who was still trying to remember how to understand, let alone _use_, syntax, as Durga did the same, smiling seductively.

"Nilima, I'm mostly into men and sexy wildlife – and also sometimes livestock, but only if it's organic – but still, would you make me the happiest woman–"

"Not on a date ! About our entirely sex-less and platonic relationship ! She'll tell you I _never_ do those those things ! I'm _never_ weird with her ! _Never !_ It's just that we have lots of overtime that Kadam doesn't remember to tell her about and someone _has_ to bring food and DVDs – it's just a _friend_ thing, that even boy friends with a space in between, boy _friends_, could do to each other, but not to a girl they like, never, _ever_, to a girl. So stop shipping us, you femslash fiend !"

Durga let out an unladylike snort that had to be laughter, and rolled her eyes so hard that they seemed revulsed.

_There's something weird about her_, Nilima finally realized. _I think I've already seen that somewhere. _

"Oh, sweetie, you got to take the moral high ground and look down on me for so many years. But now, _now I shall be revenged_ _!_"

She closed her eyes, and rubbed her temples, as if she was pondering deeply a very serious matter.

"It would be so much better if there was a _name_ for that. You've got so many names for me. _Irresponsible. Clueless. Useless. Hedonistic wasteland_. And my favorite, whenever we're in public, _I've never seen her in my life _! followed closely by _Don't let her touch me !_"

"That one just might be because you send me to _spy on people_. And it's really hard to keep a cover when your partner doesn't get that word."

Durga's eyes opened. The pupils were huge and what should have been white, around the iris, was strained with red, brown and purple veins that seemed about to burst. Nilima gulped.

_Do not want._ _Not want. No no. _

"I won't call you furries. That's _my_ thing, and also you don't have hair. And scale-y's just _weird_. But I can shapeshift you to make up a better label. Would you like to have feathers ? Like a certain person we both love very–"

"You did _not_ date him and he's not my dad." Fanindra patiently repeated for the millionth time "For one, I was already born, and I left you alone for four minutes, four minutes, and you just had to get acids and have a wet dream about my ceremonial flute."

Durga gasped.

"It wasn't a wet dream ! How dare you ? Your dad loves me back, and our love is pure ! He's totally gonna go back to me once he gets out of that weird neo-pagan phase."

"Mom, you said the same about Loki. Now he's worshipped by hipsters, Aryan cults _and_ Marvel fans. And Loki being Loki, he's bedding half of them."

The woman who was not the embodiment of peace and wisdom rose slowly, and she could barely utter her reply over her trembling rage.

"Don't you speak his name in here ever again ! Because of him, my precious Tom Hiddelston will be typecast forever ! I'm pretty sure your dad's the Maya guy –"

"Aztec."

"Whatever. I'm pretty sure it's the Maya guy, but if it isn't –"

She paused and her look turned blank. She lowered her eyes and stared at Nilima.

"Sorry, who is she, again ?"

"You're not Durga." the stewardess retorted "Why not Durga ? I thought you're Durga, and then you're not Durga."

The not-godess smiled pleasantly.

"No, I'm just the one who reads her crazy fanmail. You can call me Jambhanā. It's not my _real_ name, but I'd like to hear how dumb people sound saying it."

"Fortunately, mom, she speaks Hindi." Fanindra retorted before turning to Nilima. "She's just the asura who steals the prayers and offerings of people who don't really believe in Durga."

"Biatch gave me the job because she wanted to focus on people who would actually listen to advice. No one caught up before, mostly because humans are morons."

Something snaped in Nilima's brain and she suddenly realized she was lying on the floor, saliva drooling from her mouth, her respectable work outfit covered in dust from the unswept stairs of the not-sacred not-temple.

She stood up quickly.

"I'm sorry, I just understood. You are Fanindra's mother."

_Yup. Forever and always morons_, Not!Durga thought.

"I'm so pleased to meet you."

Jambhanā noticed that one of the human's hand was held in the air, waiting for her to shake it. As if she was one of those American moguls the girl took on tours when the princes' old servant (that man had lived so long, she sometimes remembered his name) needed to trade for his masters.

She didn't bother to answer. She had nothing against the girl, and human stupidity was more cute and ridiculous than annoying to her, but she wasn't going to walk down ancient crumbling stairs in high heels to shake hands with her daughter's future-ex-girlfriend. It wasn't snobbism, just immortal fatigue. Couldn't they get that nowadays ?

To her credit, the girl didn't wait for long. After a few seconds, her hand fell on her long grey skirt, which she started sweeping frantically, without stoping to stare at the asura with a wide smile.

"I can see the resemblance. Mostly facial expression. I always wondered why she was able to frown."

"I would have told you" Fanindra apologized "But you'd have wanted to meet her and–"

"And ?" Not!Durga asked, a little hurt.

"And I'm glad I did !" Nilima exclaimed with the fakest smile she'd ever mutered in her long history of sweeping things under the table. "I suppose that you called me to give me instructions concerning the princes and their – hmm – friend ? As you did with Fanindra ? I would be honored to help you both."

Jambhanā looked surprised.

"So you would be honored to stop complaning to my daughter and go back to keeping my BFF Chelsea Hayes and her tiger pets safe, right ?"

For a second, Nilima wavered and looked down. She weighed the costs for herself and benefits for almost everyone else. It was a tough choice. She wasn't selfish, she'd never been, but more than anything, she wanted to survive and go back to the comforts of the world she understood, before the tigers, before the princes, before –

She stoped herself.

For the second time that day, someone thought of Sai, the boy no one cared about, the boy no one knew would matter, before making a decision that would change their life forever.

There were so many things she didn't know – would that woman even listen to her ? or would she punish her ? would she really do anything ? – but of one thing, she was certain : for the first time in her life, she'd have to betray someone.


	7. Chapter 6 - The plot shows up - I SWEAR

**Chapter VII: **

**The plot shows up (FINALLY !)**

_(A.N. : Again, so sorry about the devas and asuras. Here comes a sequel to last night's chapter. It was supposed to be one and the same, but I cut it in half like I did with chapter 4. Hope you enjoy !)_

Eventually, she raised her eyes and dared to meet the asura's look.

"I'm sorry, can I just ask you – why do you want to protect them ?"

Now that the gates were opened, it was impossible to stop the wave of questions that she'd been holding in for so long.

"Is it really going to save the whole of India ? How is that possible, when their kingdom was so tiny and unstable ? And... what exactly do we need to be saved from ? I mean, we do have problems, like everywhere else. But if there has to be a chosen one, I'm just curious, not just about how does it get chosen and who chooses it but really, I just really wonder..."

She paused, almost out of breath, before finally saying it.

"Does it really have to be them ?"

Jambhanā pouted.

"Does it really have to be someone else ? Girl's such a sweetie. She's like the daughter I already have, except if she was anything like me and wanted to hang out some times. Of course, Fan, she's ten times dumber than you and definitely less pretty, but it feels so damn nice to be able to share the tiger love ! And those guys are so hot, so –"

"Moronic ?" Fanindra interjected. "Obsessive ? Unstable ? Shallow ? Selfish ? Whiny ?"

"And murderers."

There was a sudden silence as the asuras turned towards their guest.

_I used to just shut up. Why can't I do it again ?_

"What ?" Fanindra asked, incredulous. Her eyes, those almost human eyes, seemed so wide, so innocent, so vulnerable. She might have been some sort of near-godess – that one was really hard to swallow – and she seemed incredibly tough and daring for someone as cautious as Nilima, but the human knew her friend would do something stupid if she said what she knew.

"They keep killing the cuddliest animals to feed themselves. I couldn't do it."

Fanindra looked down in shame, and her friend suddenly remembered that ridiculous and heart-wrenching night when she'd found her crying over her plate of frozen mice.

The not-godess frowned. She seemed to be trying her best to understand something _beyond_ understanding, something beyond reason and logic, something so shocking that she couldn't – no, couldn't even –

"Are you two saying – that you – you – don't like the tigers ? Or the girl ?"

Having just succesfully lied to a demigodess and escaped a few awkward mother-daughter moments, Nilima was enjoying a nice boost in her confidence. She could have lied to that mystical force from the dawn of time. But it was Fanindra's mother. Maybe, just maybe, she was a bit like her daughter. So she answered:

"I think master Kishan is mostly harmless, but after all these years, I couldn't say. What I know is that he cares for little else than his own amusement. He has no concept of loyalty, he seldom keeps his word and whenever he's tempted, he is incredibly weak. He's shown potential for decency, but not for greatess. He would never be a good ruler."

Durga stayed still and listened and her face did not betray any emotion, but Nilima did not notice her unusually receptive state.

"Of course, you would rather support his brother. Master Dhiren is extremely demanding towards everyone, including himself. He's tyrannical and power-hungry. He needs to prove his worth. He does good because he feels he ought to, but I don't think that he understands or care about the little people's feelings. That is the most unnerving, about both of them. Even when they mean well, they feel entitled to decide the fate of others, without consulting anyone but their self."

Fanindra's tongue clicked and Nilima instantly knew that they were in for her Jungian perspective.

"I think they've got massive mommy issues. Deschen was super shady and kept lying about where she came from, and she was pretty awful with them. Ren needs everyone to see how awesome and perfect he is because he doesn't want to suck like his Broshan, and the other is desperate for a supportive pushover that will tell him he's pretty, and brings home as many as he can in his weird perverted manhunt for the most spineless. It's like they're still ten years old, and they need to fight over some bland action figure with no personality."

"As for Miss Kelsey, she will never go out of her way to harm someone, but she'll definitely do it even they are a threat to anything she wants."

"Mostly if it's about ribbons."

Jambhanā had turned to hear her daughter's last quip. She looked at her intensely.

After some agonizing seconds, she smiled.

It was a smile that exsuded warm pride and affection, and made her look almost human, sane and sober.

"You passed my test. Except it wasn't really a test. But I changed my mind. I trust my daughter."

Nilima looked at her in disbelief.

"So you are going to unchoose Kelsey as your Messianic Archetype ? And we will live in a world where Fanindra doesn't have to follow her in the shower and her lovers can never raise a hand or a claw on a living thing ?"

Jambhanā and Fanindra's eyerolls were perfectly synchronized.

"My mom's not capable of rational thought. Whatever she's saying has fuck all to do with the point you just made."

"Watch your tongue, young lady, or I might have to take back that blessing." Jambhanā warned her before using her strange glamour smile on Nilima again. "You're welcome in the family, you adorable ape-thing. Try not to die on us too soon."

Fanindra grumbled something about MooomseriuslystahpbeingschamoronI'm Not! Dating! Her!, but her mother made one last absent-minded remark.

"That's the thing with humans. They just go to _whatever it is_. I always forget the name. But they leave no trace up here. That's gonna be a downer sooner or later, but right now, it's a good thing for you." She sighed dramatically. "I've lost one of my closest friends, and you get to post applications for a new, better job. So you can properly support my daughter. As you will find out, I'm still very traditional about gender roles, and I won't let my own daughter -"

Nilima blinked.

"I'm sorry, what ?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. It's your fault, monkey, you kept on ranting for so long, I didn't want to interrupt. That's my problem, I'm too darn nice. She's dead. Kelsey, I mean. A little bit after you got here. I got a vision of her, lying in her blood, but I couldn't stop Fanindra from crying over your tiny bruise, and then I made you come to shut her up and tell you about it in hope you'd do something. But she went Anaconda on you and I was like "My little girl totally scored !". And then I asked you to help and you had a bug for I don't know how long. It was so awkward, seeing she was choking with her blood. I just thought you'd say yes."

Both friends looked at each other in horror.

"We have to go back." Fanindra said, matter-of-factly.

"Maybe we can still do something. Maybe we can help. She can't already be -"

"I'm not worried about her." Fanindra said darkly "There were people tending to the rose garden and others working on the new golf course. I'll find them, you go look for her if you want. Mom'll activate our teleporting device, just come with me."

Nilima ran down as quickly as she could, tripping and missing a few steps as her friend slithered down the stairs with unnatural speed.

She kept thinking of the look she'd seen on Kelsey's face when she'd surprised her. Betrayal. Confusion. Shame.

Jambhanā waited untill they'd both reached the last step, and made an ample gesture with her left arm.

Lightning stroke again.


End file.
